Audi S6: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Audi S6: 12 model years scored from 97 NHTSA owner complaints and 37 recall campaigns. Worst year 2013, best year 2020.
Audi S6: which years to avoid
Across 12 scored model years the Audi S6 ranges from 47/100 in 2013 to 92/100 in 2024 — a 45-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a S6 at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Engine (33 of them).
Avoid: 2013 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the S6 changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 3 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2013–2018
Mean score 74/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (67 complaints). 8 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2020–2022
Mean score 78/100. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (2 complaints). 12 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2024–2025
Mean score 92/100.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2020 (score 81). Worst: 2013 (score 47, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92 | BUY | $3,980 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | 92 | BUY | $4,120 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 83 | BUY | $4,400 | 0 | 4 |
| 2021 | 71 | BUY | $4,540 | 0 | 10 |
| 2020 | 81 | BUY | $4,686 | 2 | 6 |
| 2018 | 89 | BUY | $5,720 | 4 | 1 |
| 2017 | 88 | BUY | $5,260 | 5 | 2 |
| 2016 | 65 | CAUTION | $5,426 | 19 | 2 |
| 2015 | 89 | BUY | $5,738 | 5 | 2 |
| 2014 | 65 | CAUTION | $5,902 | 20 | 3 |
| 2013 | 47 | AVOID | $6,071 | 42 | 3 |
| 2011 | 87 | BUY | $7,240 | 0 | 2 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the S6, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Audi S6
Across every S6 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Engine68 complaints across all S6 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train14 complaints across all S6 years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System10 complaints across all S6 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System8 complaints across all S6 years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Unknown Or Other7 complaints across all S6 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Suspension7 complaints across all S6 years · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle$780–$1,580
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Audi S6 years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2013 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2013 is the weakest at 47/100, with its complaints concentrated in Engine.
What are the best Audi S6 years to buy?
2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024… all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2024 at 92/100, on 0 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Audi S6 problem?
68 of the complaints filed against the S6 across all its model years sit in the Engine group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04